Bambi

Haven, that is truly disgusting. How could anyone take a puppy away at 3 weeks??? I guess we are really talking about completely different sets of circumstances. My comments are based on pups bred by an ethical, registered breeder who will raise a confident puppy through attention to temperaments of parents and a loving environment until at least 8 weeks. A puppy taken away from it's mother and littermates at 3 weeks of age is obviously going to need additional socialisation because it has not received the natural socialisation that generally occurs. In this instance, I personally would still not take the puppy out until after vaccination was complete, but I also have other dogs at home for the pup to interact with. For me, I would always look for other options such as friends/family with vaccinated, healthy animals however each to their own. I am sure there are situations out there where that is not possible.

Staffntoller - no, I don't disinfect my shoes. I believe that it is about minimising the risks as much as possible, not keeping puppies in a bubble. I do however remove my shoes (as does anyone who enters my home) before coming inside and hands/arms are washed thoroughly when there are any young pups around. I see the biggest risk being puppies ingesting virus/disease through eating or chewing on things that are contaminated, and let's face it, there are not many pups around that don't grab anything and everything in their mouths. If a pup doesn't touch the ground outside of my home, they can't chew on anything, thereby minimising risks as much as possible.

Just wanted to add to some comments about vet surgeries being safe - please be careful! One of our litters caught the virus at our vet surgery. No, I don't have proof and the vets have of course denied it strenuously, but it is the only possibility. I'm certainly not saying don't go to the vets or even don't go to puppy preschool - each to their own - I'm just saying be careful! Also, in relation to the "critical period" - this is something that not everyone agrees with. Simply because a person doesn't see eye to eye with someone who holds this as gospel, doesn't mean they are uneducated, it means they have a differing view.